


When the Walls Come Crashing Down

by PastelLunarPrince



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Gen, I don't even know anymore, Rumbelle - Freeform, Swanfire - Freeform, olympus au
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-04-23
Updated: 2014-04-23
Packaged: 2018-01-20 12:31:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 5,773
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1510517
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PastelLunarPrince/pseuds/PastelLunarPrince
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Olympus AU. When the gods are thrown into a small town in Maine, they have to find out who cast them out of their home. Of course, no quest is without its detours and distractions.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. 1

**Author's Note:**

> [A bit of background, to give an idea of who is seen even if they don’t say anything or much at all.  
> Rumple and Belle are Hades and Persephone; Moe is a dickhead version of Demeter; Jefferson is Hermes; Ruby and Graham are Artemis and Apollo; Lacey is Aphrodite; Hook is Poseidon; Charming and Snow are Zeus and Hera; Mulan is Ares; Aurora is Athena; Emma and Bae are equivalent to Hercules and ‘Meg’ from that Disney adaptation, except Bae is Rumple & Belle’s kid; Regina is basically Circe from the Odyssey; Robin is Odysseus; and Blue, Tink, and Nova are the Fates and the Furies.]

Her head hurt. It hurt a lot, but it was fading. She didn’t remember much besides a rushing, nauseous feeling and then silence. She felt around to try and gain her surroundings before opening her eyes. What her hands grasped was unexpected. She found herself pulling layers of silky blankets around her; she stopped only when she heard a grunt beside her. When she finally opened her eyes, she was astounded at the surrounding walls.

The walls were a deep brown laced with gold designs and trim. Across from where she sat was a dresser with a large mirror atop it. She slowly slipped from under the soft blankets, pulling the silver-purple night gown she wore down as she walked toward the mirror. She ran her fingers through messy bedhead red-brown waves, smiling as she realized she was still in tact and herself.

"Belle?"

The young woman jumped at the voice and turned around to see him - the man she had come to love - laying in the bed she had just left. She inwardly exclaimed and plopped back on the bed.

"I was hoping it was you I was laying beside."

"You didn’t think to check?"

"Well…" Belle paused. "No." She ran a hand through her hair. "I was more intrigued about where we are - because it’s definitely not home." She waited and watched as the older man looked around the room. "I don’t remember the underworld being this… plainly furnished." She laughed at the little side-glare the man gave her.

The man sat up completely, letting the blankets fall to reveal his bare torso and the top band of a pair of black silken pajama pants.

"Where are we, love?"

"I haven’t the slightest idea," Belle said, standing once more. "But c’mon Rumple, let’s get dressed and go find out." She smiled, walking around to his side of the bed and holding out her hand.

"You’re too good to me," Rumple said, standing as he took her hand. He stumbled slightly and held onto the younger woman before nodding to a black cane with a gold handle leaning against the nearby wall. He took it and leaned on it after she handed it to him. "Well that’s something new."

Belle let out a small laugh before opening the closet. “Um…” She tilted her head at the blue dress she pulled out. “Not exactly what I’m used to, but it’s nice.”

Rumple nodded in agreement as he looked at his own wardrobe.

-

_"Belle, you can’t go down there with that, that monster!" The older man seethed, grabbing onto his daughter’s wrists tightly._

_"Father, if that’s what he wishes, then I will go. There’s no need to start any wars. It would just cost more innocent lives," Belle said, pulling her arms from her overprotective father’s grasp._

_"It’s forever, dearie." The man-imp said, standing just a few feet away from the daughter and her father - both of which were just a few more feet away from the rest of the Gods._

_"I’m very well aware of that," Belle said, looking from her father to the Lord of the Underworld. She placed her hand on her father’s cheek. "I can take care of myself; I’m grown." She smiled softly before looking over at her sister. "Take care of him, hmm?"_

_Lacey shrugged and nodded. “I’ll do what I can.” She said simply. The Goddess of Love did have better things to do with her time, after all._

_Belle turned away from her father and took the few steps to the man who had come bargaining._

-

"There he is. It’s his fault we’re here!"

Belle jumped as she heard the familiar angry man’s voice. She rolled her eyes in a moment of overwhelming exasperation before keeping her arms linked with Rumple’s own.

In front of them, in what could only be considered a strange small town located in the northern United States, was the entirety of the beings living on Mount Olympus and then some. And they were all staring at Rumple and Belle as they walked into town.

"Who else would have had the power to eject us from our home down to this planet?"

"Yeah! Who else?"

"Why’d you do it?"

"Why did you send us down here!?"

Accusations and snide remarks flew from every direction until the God of all the Gods stepped forward.

"Listen, we don’t know if Rumplestiltskin is the one who did this to us," David said, holding his arms up to try and calm the others.

"Who else would want us off of Mount Olympus other than him?" Moe sneered. "He already took one of us to be with him."

"If he were really the one to do this, do you think we’d even down here?" Belle asked, as if were the most obvious reason for it not to be her love’s fault. She looked up at him and saw in his eyes that it really wasn’t him, and that they were just as confused as everyone else.

"Ok, mom… dad… What are you doing here?"

"Emma?"

The group turned to see the daughter of David and Snow wielding a sword, pushing a little boy behind the man that had been following her.

"Baelfire?"

The man looked at Rumple and then Belle as he picked up the little brunette boy.

"Papa?"

-

_"Why are we sending her down to Earth? Why can’t she grow up here?" Snow asked, looking from the newborn in her arms to the man standing beside her._

_"Living up here is no place for a child," David said, shaking his head. "We’ll be sure she goes to a good family. She’ll be able to visit." He smiled softly, rubbing his wife’s upper arm. "We’ll watch over her as best we can."_

-

_"We have to send him up," Belle said softly, looking at the brunette boy in her arms._

_"To Olympus? They’ll never accep-"_

_"No, Rumple - to Earth," Belle said, laughing slightly. She cradled the child close to her. "We can watch him - or I can, at least. We’ll know he’s safe and taken care of."_

-

"Are you telling me that neither side of this decided it would be a good idea to tell the other that they had sent a god-child to Earth?" Emma groaned, rubbing her eyes as they sat in the diner in the middle of the town.

"It didn’t seem like a problem at the time," David said, looking at his daughter.

"Are you saying it’s a problem now?" Baelfire asked, giving David a look stating that he was on the offense.

"Neal, not now," Emma said, nodding toward the ten year old asleep with his head on the diner table. "Not with Henry around."

"How were even supposed to know that you two would end up together?" Snow asked, a little flustered and in a state of disbelief.

"Is it just me, or are you two overreacting a bit?" Belle raised an eyebrow.  "The only thing I’m upset about is that my son hasn’t given me a hug or even said hello yet."

Baelfire rolled his eyes and then cracked a grin before turning to face Belle, pulling her into his arms and picking her up in a hug. “Hello Mama.” He said, burying his face into the crook of her neck briefly as he set her down. He then moved over to Rumple, hesitating for a moment as if to ask before he pulled the man into an embrace as well. “Papa.”

"Are you happy here, son?" Rumple asked, letting his hand rest on Baelfire’s arm for a moment after the hug.

Baelfire looked at Emma and Henry before turning back to his father and nodding. “I have my own family here. I’m thrilled to see you both again, but I can’t help but wonder why.”


	2. 2

_"If I’m here forever, I may as well have something to do," Belle muttered, sitting in a chair and watching the ruler of the Underworld pace back and forth on the edge of the Soul River._

_"Watch them while I go collect some debts owed me," Rumple replied, giving the young goddess a sharp glance before literally disappearing into thin air._

_Belle groaned and leaned over, her elbows on her knees, her head in her hands. It was dark and dank and damp, and altogether uncomfortable, but she did as he said. She stood and walked over to the edge, looking over as if entranced. She knelt by what looked like gold, transparent water. Just as she reached her hand out, she was quickly yanked back._

_"I said watch. Not touch." Rumple seethed. He looked into Belle’s wide blue eyes and sighed. "Go make some tea."_

-

"Do you need any help?" Baelfire asked, walking into the kitchen of his parents’ home.

"No, I think I’ve got it," Belle smiled, turning and setting the cream and sugar on the tray. She picked it up. "I’m so proud of you, Baelfire." She said as he followed her into the living room. "Your own family." She set the tray on the table and laid a hand gently on the back of Henry’s head. "It is so good to meet you."

Henry looked up at Belle and smiled before grabbing a cookie off the tray.

"I think this is a bit much to take in," Emma said, looking at her own parents. "Is there still no idea of who could have done this?"

"Well, there’s the sorceress, but - she’s here too, so that’s a no go," Belle said, shrugging as she sat down beside Rumple. "There are no books in the library in town that I haven’t seen before - there’s no information in them that I don’t know."

"You could speak to Aurora and Mulan," Rumple said simply. "Perhaps they would have some knowledge."

-

_"Belle, you’re home," Mulan smiled, embracing the other._

_"For Goddes of War, you sure are friendly," Belle teased as she returned the gesture. She held the other woman at arm’s length. "How is home?" She looked around, seeing no one else in the immediate area._

_"Your father’s nearly gone of the deep end, your sister keeps sending Cupid out on odd little errands; he may have shot some people that could cause things to get interesting in the future-" Mulan paused. "Wait. You’re home. He said forever, and yet… You’re here?"_

_Belle laughed. “He sent me out on an errand, so I thought I’d drop by and say hello.” She smiled. “Where is everyone?”_

_"Aurora is disguised, tending to some humans down below. Jefferson is running errands - world jumping as he calls it - and everyone else is just being themselves. Ruby and Graham are out on a hunt - some creature is torturing a group of nomads."_

_"I know," Belle said, rolling her eyes. "I tried to convince him otherwise, but he said he had to do something or else everyone would think he had disappeared or withered away and died." She smiled wistfully. "I should really get back."_

_Mulan peered curiously at her dear friend. “You love him. Belle! It’s been barely a decade and already you’ve fallen for him!”_

_Belle jumped and then nodded. “Perhaps I have, but… Oh, Mulan, you don’t understand. I know I shouldn’t, but I do. There is good in him, I’ve seen it. He has spared many a man and beast since I’ve been down there. He’s given me a chance to go multiple times, but I didn’t want to.”_

_Mulan smiled. “A love that shouldn’t exist, trust me Belle, I know that all too well.” She placed a soft kiss on her friend’s cheek. “Now hurry on back to the Underworld before your curfew.” She grinned._

-

"The five of us, back together again," Aurora smiled as she flipped through a giant tome; it was one of the only things she knew had come with them when they all arrived in the strange new place.

Belle looked around her. It was her, Lacey, Ruby, Mulan, and Aurora. Harvest, Love, Hunt, War, and Wisdom. They often helped each other when living together on Olympus, and it was good to have their minds working together again.

Mulan shook her head, smiling slightly. Her hand rested on Aurora’s lower back. “Wait, there - what is that?”

Aurora flipped back a page and they all looked where Mulan’s finger rested. “It’s been centuries since anyone’s even heard of anything like that.”

"Like what?" Lacey asked, raising an eyebrow.

"A Displacement Curse," Belle muttered. "It’s impossible to trace a caster, and they’re nearly impossible to break, and even harder to reverse."

Ruby groaned. “This is awful,” she said, propping her elbows on the table and running her fingers through her long hair. “Is there anymore information about it?”

Aurora began flipping through pages again before Lacey abruptly stopped her and flipped all the way to the back.

"Indexes exist for a reason," she grinned.

Aurora rolled her eyes. “Displacement Curse, see… Unbreakable Curses.” She groaned and flipped to Unbreakable Curses in the index. “Unbreakable Curses, see Displacement Curse, Sleeping Curse -“

"-those are definitely breakable-" Mulan muttered.

"Unwanted Curses…" Aurora sighed.

"Well, looks like we need an updated version of this book," Ruby said, standing up straight and looking at the four girls around her. "That Henry kid said something about something called the internet - maybe we could try that."

-

_"Emma, Emma breathe," Baelfire said, holding onto the blonde woman’s hand._

_"This is your fault!" Emma gasped out._

_"Yes, I realize this, but you need to breathe."_

_They had been in the same situation for nearly three hours, and so far there were no complications really. Except that two hours ago, Baelfire lost feeling in his hand, and was pretty sure his demi-goddess of a fiancee had broken it, but being the son of the Underworld, his hand was in a constant state of breaking and heeling._

_"Neal!"_

_He felt another broken finger, then heard a cry from their son, and then felt Emma release his hand and the bones shift back into place. He grunted and then smiled, leaning closer to his exhausted fiancee._

_"Miss Swan, its a healthy baby boy."_

_Emma let out a quiet laugh as she was handed the freshly cleaned off child._

_"We should name him after your father," Emma said._

_Baelfire thought for a moment, thinking of his actual father. “No, that’s a terrible name.” No offense, Papa, he thought. “How about yours?”_

_Emma shrugged. “David?” She shook her head. “He doesn’t look like a David.” She said._

_"How about Henry, and David for a middle name?" Baelfire grinned as Emma yawned and nodded._

_"That’ll work." Emma smiled. "Henry David Cassidy - that’s if we’re talking your last name."_

_Baelfire shrugged. “I think you’ll always be Emma Swan, but the kid can have my name.” He joked._

-

Henry looked at the five grown women in front of him, one being his grandmother, another being his aunt - somehow- and then the other three… Well he guessed they were part of this whole ‘gods coming to earth’ thing. He scoffed and shook his head.

"For all-knowing beings who have watched over the earth for millenia, it’s interesting to find out that you have no idea how to work a computer or the internet."

"C’mon kid, we just need to figure out how to break this thing - at least get our powers back, even if we can’t go home," Ruby said.

Henry put his hands up in mock surrender, “I never said I wouldn’t help. I’m just amused is all.”

Belle smiled. “Definitely your father’s child,” she murmured under her breath. She could see the resemblance to both Baelfire and Rumple in the child, and though it was harder, she could also see how he was related to Emma, and then to David and Snow.

"Alright, so after waiting for it to turn on, you go to the browser, go to the search engine, and type in what you need," Henry said, clicking the places as he said them. He stood from the chair and offered it to whomever wanted to sit.

Belle took the initiative and typed in Displacement Curse.

"Well, there’s a bunch of things from the Neo-Pagans on how to find the ingredients and create the right situation to cast the curse," Belle muttered, scrolling through pages and articles. "Well, here’s an easy one - true love’s kiss to bring back powers-"

"That doesn’t make any sense though," Ruby said. "Everyone who has a true love has already kissed them at some point since we’ve arrived," she shrugged. "It’s nearing nightfall, though. I’d like to get some rest."

"That sounds like a plan," Lacey agreed. "I’ll walk you home."

"Aurora, we should head home as well," Mulan said softly, laying an arm around the other’s waist and leading her out after the others.

Belle looked at the browser windows she had open.

"If you want, I can get a portable drive and put all this information on it for you," Henry said. At Belle’s slightly confused glance, he smiled. "It’s like a book on a tiny, carry-with-you device. I like doing research, so I’ll do some more for you."

Belle’s eyes lit up and she hugged him. “I was wondering if you’d have any of my own traits.” She teased, standing up. “Thank you.”

"Not a problem. Just, how about you and Gramps meet me for breakfast at the diner tomorrow. They have delicious hot cocoa."

"With cinnamon on top?" Belle grinned, walking towards the door. She didn’t wait for an answer before leaving.


	3. 3

"Two hot cocoas, cinnamon on top, and a black coffee," Belle smiled at the waitress as she sat down. "Hungry?"

"No." Henry smiled. "Mom made a big breakfast this morning; she cooks when she’s nervous."

Belle made a face and then shook her head. “Nervous? About what?”

"Figuring out why you’re all here, of course," Henry said, shrugging as if it were obvious. He looked up as Rumple walked in and sat beside Belle.

"Sorry I’m late. Had an unexpected visitor come to my door," Rumple smiled. He looked at the hot mug set in front of him, making sure it was free of chocolate and cinnamon.

"It’s coffee, love." Belle smiled, lacing a hand with one of his. She put it to her lips before cupping her own mug of hot cocoa. "Your other grandmother and I stared this; something I guess your parents got from us. Everyone thought we were silly."

"It’s an awful combination." Rumple stated off-hand, smiling to himself as he felt Belle’s look.

"Anyway, do you have the portable tiny book on a thing?" Belle asked, turning to Henry.

After swallowing a gulp of his favorite morning beverage, Henry nodded. He pulled the USB drive from his pants pocket and held it out. “You should have a computer in your house, or if not, there’s a couple at the library. All of the information you found, plus some things I found are on that drive.”

"That’s his school drive," Emma said, sitting down beside her son unannounced. She stole a drink of his cocoa and laughed at Henry’s mock offended look. "Listen kid, you need to get to school. When your dad and I couldn’t find you this morning, we got worried."

"Sorry mom," Henry said, hugging her around the waist as they stood up. "Look at the info, I want an update on Operation Pegasus after school." He walked with Emma out of the diner.

Belle snickered.

"He’s your grandkid." Rumple teased.

"Oh please, he looks like Bae when he was younger; he looks like you," Belle kissed Rumple’s cheek. "Now let’s go find a computer so I can try to find a way to break this curse."

-

_"This is delicious!" Snow exclaimed, huddling close to Belle. The two had snuck away from Olympus and went out into the world in disguise. It was late 1600s and the two were enjoying a cup of what would become something rather cheap and easily acquired: hot cocoa. On top of it was some cinnamon._

_"Why hadn’t anyone thought of this before?" Belle smiled. She enjoyed the time she had with the Queen of the Gods - the time that they could get away from the others._

-

_"What is in this…?"_

_Belle looked up from her cup, eyes wide. She noticed her love’s scrunched up nose as he looked at the porcelain mug in his hands._

_"Um. It’s hot chocolate."_

_"I’ve gathered that, dearie. But there’s something else," Rumple said, pulling the beverage closer to his eye to examine it._

_Belle stifled a giggled at the sight and then nodded. “Mmhmm. It’s cinnamon.” She smiled, taking a sip of her own drink._

_"Cinnamon?" Rumple let the word leave his tongue like a drop of poison. He set the drink down. "I’d like tea, please."_

_Belle rolled her eyes. “Jeez, you bear a child to the God of the Underworld and you still get stuck making tea when he’s displeased.” She set her mug down with more force than she meant to, causing it to shatter. She didn’t look back as she walked into another room to make tea._

_Taken aback, Rumple stopped what he was doing at his wheel and followed the Goddess into the kitchen area._

_"Belle…"_

-

"According to this, without our powers we’re completely mortal," Belle said, shrugging. "That’s interesting. I hadn’t even really noticed."

Henry let out a breath that was similar to a laugh from the seat beside her. “Wait. What’s that?”

Belle stopped scrolling and looked at the sketch of a well.

"I’ve seen that well," Henry said. "It’s out in the woods on the outskirts of town. What do the words say?"

"Wells often hold magic properties even if the realm itself is not made of magic," Belle read. "Sometimes wells can be portals to other worlds or the last ingredient in a spell or curse…"

She and Henry exchanged a glance before Belle went to search through the rest of the documents. After a good twenty minutes, Belle exclaimed.

"Henry, Henry look!" Belle pointed at the screen.

-

_"Henry, you’ve been in your room all day. It’s time for dinner," Emma sighed, leaning against the wall by her son’s bedroom door._

_"Be down in a minute!"_

_"You said that thirty minutes ago, kiddo," Baelfire said, leaning on the other side. "Time to put the games down and come eat."_

_The seven year old finally opened his door and looked up at his parents._

_"I wasn’t playing games. I was finishing a book," Henry said, smiling as he held up a rather large book of Greek mythology._

_Baelfire and Emma exchanged a glance before Baelfire swooped their son onto his back, making sure to grab the book and toss it into Henry’s room._

_"Alright buddy, time for dinner. Tuna and mac n cheese!" Baelfire grinned._

-

"Alright, now that everyone’s he- wait, where are the dwarves?" Belle asked, looking around.

"They’re on their way back in to town from getting supplies," Snow said. "Emma’s waiting for them at the town line."

Belle nodded and then jumped as the door to the diner opened and seven men walked in, followed by Emma.

"Alright!" Belle smiled. "Henry and I have found a way to get our powers back. It’s not an end to the curse, but it’s a start."

"So what do we have to do?" The sorceress, Regina, asked, her arms crossed and lips pursed.

"You need to toss a symbol of your power into the well at the edge of town," Henry said. "It has to have value to you and also represent your powers and your connection to them."

-

After a long trek through the woods, the group of gods, goddesses, and other magical creatures and beings circled the wooden well.

"This is our hope? The key to getting our powers back?" Regina questioned.

"If you don’t stop talking…" Belle muttered under her breath. She shook her head head and smiled. "Yes." She looked around. "Does everyone have their token?"

After taking in everyone’s affirmative, Belle nodded, taking the couple of steps toward the well. She looked down at the small voodoo doll in her hands - made of fresh grass and wearing a flower crown, a mini scythe stabbed through it’s torso. She placed it on the rim of the well, between the intricately carved athame that she knew belonged to her beloved and the bloody red rose she knew was her sister’s.

Looking around at the other symbols - a hand-carved wooden wolf and it’s matching hand-carved hunter, an arrow, a heart, a tiara, a lightning bolt cuff link, a red coin engraved with a dragon, a tiny palm-sized leather-bound book, a fishing hook, and a miniature top hat - Belle noticed that at least the main ones were there. She was sure from her readings that everyone would get their powers back eventually.

With one more nod, Belle pushed her token into the well and watched as everyone followed. After a few moments, Belle was ready to go home in defeat - thinking the plan had failed, until-

Well, until billowing and crackling purple smoke rolled through them and then throughout the town.

-

The next morning, the fallen gods and goddesses were gather at the town line in a rushed sense of emergency.

"We’ve tried to leave, but-"

It was Grumpy trying to explain to Snow and Charming what had happened, however, the ramblings and confusion coming from Sneezy made it hard to hear the conversation.

"The river Lethe," Rumple murmured under his breath, so close to Belle’s ear that she stood stock still. She remembered tending to that river - and the four others - but also remembered it was her least favorite.

Around the town, Rumple could sense and see what to others was simply invisible. A river of forgetfulness; they had inadvertently trapped themselves in the small town.

"Sneezy, come on. Let’s get you home," Snow said in her nurturing way.

"Who’s Sneezy?"


	4. 4

"Belle?" Lacey’s eyes widened at the feral-looking woman standing in a circle of dead flowers and crippling trees.

"Who’s Belle?" The woman’s voice was weak and she was obviously having trouble standing, but as Lacey took a step toward her she took off running once more.

-

_"Father, I understand I haven’t been to see you since we fell-"_

_"Belle, I’m not worried about that," Moe said, giving her an easy smile. His hand rested in the air just above her lower back. "I just heard that there’s something similar in the Underworld to this ‘barrier’ blocking us in this town."_

_"Well, yes, that’s what Rumple was telling me. Whatever magic or water was in that well came from the the river Lethe." Belle said, keeping her guard up yet trying to relax in her father’s presence._

_"I thought maybe you could come see for yourself and tell me what you think it is."_

_As the two came to the town line, Belle nodded and looked. She noticed the literal line that had been painted after one of the dwarves took a step over. As she looked over and tried to see what her beloved could see, she could only sense the presence of the forgetful river before she was pushed. The heels she wore didn’t help with keeping her balance as she tripped over the town line, hitting her head and looking up only to see a man standing just a few feet away, watching her. She got up and did the only thing her instinct was telling her to do: run._

-

It had been at least two weeks since he had seen her, and it was starting to get to him that this was the price they had to pay for their powers being returned. Everything came with a price and her hard head and intelligence had got them what they needed, but… If he had known what would have happened, he would have stayed mortal and lived whatever life they could have led together.

"Papa!"

Rumple looked up from the book in his lap, setting the pen down in it before closing it. “What is it son?”

"They found her. Lacey found her."

-

At the hospital, he watched as nurses and doctors went in and out of the room, hooking and unhooking the unconscious woman to and from different machines. He waited and waited until he was allowed to go in.

Lacey had found her that morning in the woods on a patrol that consisted of her and the hunting twins, so when Rumple was allowed to see Belle it was only early afternoon.

Standing next to her bedside, he moved a strand of red-brown from her pale and drained face. She looked weak and nothing like the woman he’d fallen in love with. He leaned down, cautiously placing his lips over her chapped ones.

Belle’s eyes widened and she opened her mouth, letting out a scream.

Rumple, shocked and hurt by the reaction, went to back away from her and apologize before he realized she was grabbing at him, pulling him in front of her.

"Him! It’s him! Please, please don’t leave me alone!" Blue eyes pleaded at him as he looked down at the terrified goddess before looking to the door to see the cause of her fear.

"You." Rumple growled, seeing Belle’s father standing at the door. The atmosphere in the room darkened and what was once daylight seemed to be and overcast night of midnight blue - a storm raging inside turned to the outside world unable to handle it fully. Crackling and burning surrounded the Lord of the Underworld. "Leave!" The one word pulsed with every ounce of rage and hate in the river Styx.

When he turned to Belle, her eyes were wide but not with fear for him. He knelt beside the bed and sighed softly as she wrapped her arms around his neck.

"Thank you," she sobbed, breathing in his scent. She sat back and smiled at him. "You seem important to me…" She said softly, yawning. "Please don’t leave."

"I’ve nowhere to sit," Rumple said, trying to lighten the mood from what had just happened.

Belle chuckled and scooted over on the bed. “Protect me from him, and you can sit here.” She patted the bed and curled against her saviour as he sat down. She used his lap as a pillow and fell quickly to sleep. Weeks of running through the woods and sleeping on dirt and grass or the floor of a rundown cabin had gotten to her.

-

"Our Lady Belle has returned," Tink said, running into the room where Nova and Blue stood, finishing the last bit of paperwork they had.

Blue’s attention perked up at the words coming from the youngest’s mouth. “She’s alive?”

"We’re the Fates; did we cut her string?" Tink raised an eyebrow. "I think not, so yes, she’s alive." She sighed. "But she has the same symptoms as that dwarf did."

"Blue, is there anymore of that potion left?" Nova asked, eyes full of wonder and the need to help nearly everyone.

"That was simply a test of our powers returning," Blue said simply. "So, we only made enough for one person’s memories to return." She shook her head. "I’m sorry."

"We still have the ingredients, Blue," Tink countered. "We could make more; our powers have definitely returned-"

"-because of Belle," Nova interrupted.

Blue, who was in the midst of turning away to squander her time on some menial task, mentally cursed herself and then sighed. “Fine. One more potion.”

-

"I just came from the Fates," Lacey said quietly, standing outside the hospital room.

"That’s supposed to make me feel better?" Rumple asked, almost hissing. He had spent at least two days watching Belle not remember anything, playing with her powers by killing and bringing back to life the flowers on the table, not eating. It was killing him.

Lacey rolled her eyes. “Tink and Nova convinced Blue to help you and Belle. Take this. It will restore her memories.” She handed him a small vile. “It’s the same they used on Sneezy last week.”

Rumple looked at the vile and then kissed the top of Lacey’s head. “You’re the best sister anyone could have. No wonder Belle wanted to go home to you.”

"You’re her home, Rumplestiltskin," Lacey said, patting his cheek before nodding towards the door. "She’s waking up."

Rumple opened the door to see Belle sitting up and disdainfully looking at the ‘food’ on the tray. She looked up at him as he walked in.

"I’m not hungry."

He knew that’s what she would say; she had been saying it since they tried feeding her.

"I know."

He had avoided the pet names and avoided her name so as not to upset her.

"How about some tea?"

"I’d love some," she smiled, pulling her knees to her chest and wrapping her arms around her legs. She watched him as he made the tea, smiling brightly as she handed him her cup - a white porcelain cup, a blue flower painted on it, and a chip on the rim.

One sip and she nearly dropped the cup, staring at it in bewilderment.

"Rumple?" Belle turned to face the man standing by her hospital bed. She quickly set the cup on the nearest table and threw herself practically onto the man, lucky that he was able to hold them up as her arms locked around his neck. "Rumple…" she choked out in a rough sob.

"It’s me, love. I’m here." He had one arm around her and the other leaning on his cane to keep them stable. He noticed that at least one cord had been ripped from her and he winced. "Belle, you need to eat."

Belle shook her head. “No. I just want this. Just give me this.” She murmured. “I’ll eat soon. Just give me this moment.”

Understanding, Rumple nodded and just let his dearest cling to him as if he would disappear any moment. In truth, he felt the same way - he just worried for her health.

-

_"So this is the final river?" Belle asked as she walked along the edge with Rumple._

_He nodded. “Once this river is drank from and crossed, all earthly memories are stripped from the person and they can move on - to the peaceful afterlife or to be reincarnated, but only after they have forgotten themselves.”_

_Belle peered into the silver-purple waters and nodded. It did seem much more peaceful than the bloody waters of Styx or the lapping fires of Phlegethon._

_"To forget would be an adventure, I think," Belle said._

_"I pray you never bear the burden of forgetting, love," Rumple said, placing a hand on her swollen belly._


End file.
